Trainshttp://www.businessinsider.com/transportation/trains
en-usFri, 09 Dec 2016 22:06:08 -0500Fri, 09 Dec 2016 22:06:08 -0500The latest news on Trains from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/best-way-to-travel-between-boston-and-new-york-2016-11I took a ride on the Rolls-Royce of buses — and Amtrak should be worriedhttp://www.businessinsider.com/best-way-to-travel-between-boston-and-new-york-2016-11
Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:55:00 -0500Hollis Johnson
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5609bbcdbd86ef1b008bdac8-3264-2448/amtrak 17.jpg" alt="Amtrak 17" data-mce-source="Hollis Johnson" /></p><p></p>
<p>The airport is not the most enjoyable place to find yourself, especially in the midst of the Thanksgiving holiday rush.</p>
<p>Security lines, forever-rising ticket prices, and seemingly arbitrary fees all create a stressful and pricey experience.</p>
<p>Some are looking to other forms of transportation for an alternative. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor alone counted some <a href="http://media.amtrak.com/2015/12/amtrak-ridership-and-ticket-revenue-steady-in-fiscal-year-2015-3/">11.7 million passengers</a> in its 2015 fiscal year, its highest ridership yet.</p>
<p>And <a href="http://las.depaul.edu/centers-and-institutes/chaddick-institute-for-metropolitan-development/research-and-publications/Documents/2015%20Year%20in%20Review%20of%20Intercity%20Bus%20Service%20in%20the%20United%20States-110116.pdf">a study</a> from the Chaddick Institute found that intercity bus ridership across the US had also risen by 3.3 million passengers since 2013, reaching a new high of 61.6 million.</p>
<p>But buses are cramped and slow, earning their spot at the bottom rung of the transportation ladder. Trains aren't getting any faster, either, as the nation's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/27/nyregion/aging-infrastructure-plagues-nations-busiest-rail-corridor.html">rickety rail infrastructure</a> ages and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/one-thing-is-stopping-the-us-from-building-a-high-speed-rail-system-2015-9">high-speed proposals are stymied</a>.</p>
<p>I travel from New York City to Boston frequently, usually by bus, but after countless trips with my legs folded up like origami in uncomfortable seats, I'd just about had enough.</p>
<p>I had heard about <a href="http://my.limoliner.com/">LimoLiner</a>, a luxury bus service that makes three round-trips between New York and Boston Monday through Thursday every week. It makes more trips between the two cities over the weekend. With perks like free meals and individual leather seats, LimoLiner made Megabus sound like a stagecoach by comparison.</p>
<p>On a recent trip to Boston, I decided to compare LimoLiner with an <a href="http://www.amtrak.com/home">Amtrak</a> regional train to see which one offered a more comfortable experience for the price &mdash; and I was surprised by what I found.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pics-of-new-hudson-yards-subway-station-2015-9" >I took a ride to New York City's first new subway station in over 25 years</a></strong></p>
<h3>I was pretty excited to be taking the train after so many terrible bus rides to Boston and back. I boarded the Amtrak train at Penn Station, a cavernous and ill-conceived grotto of labyrinthine walkways and escalators beneath Madison Square Garden in New York. No one wants to go to Penn Station.</h3>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5609bbcdbd86ef1b008bdac8-400-300/i-was-pretty-excited-to-be-taking-the-train-after-so-many-terrible-bus-rides-to-boston-and-back-i-boarded-the-amtrak-train-at-penn-station-a-cavernous-and-ill-conceived-grotto-of-labyrinthine-walkways-and-escalators-beneath-madison-square-garden-in-new-york-no-one-wants-to-go-to-penn-station.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>The train left right on time after a painless boarding process, and within five minutes we were zipping through Queens.</h3>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5609bb9d9dd7cc22008bdb87-400-300/the-train-left-right-on-time-after-a-painless-boarding-process-and-within-five-minutes-we-were-zipping-through-queens.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>At $128 one-way, the train isn't wildly expensive, but it's not exactly the lap of luxury. Of course, the prices differ depending on the departure time. My train left at 7 a.m.</h3>
<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5609bba8bd86ef11008bd96d-400-300/at-128-one-way-the-train-isnt-wildly-expensive-but-its-not-exactly-the-lap-of-luxury-of-course-the-prices-differ-depending-on-the-departure-time-my-train-left-at-7-am.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-way-to-travel-between-boston-and-new-york-2016-11#/#plus-coach-is-considerably-less-expensive-than-business-class-and-much-less-costly-than-the-acela-high-speed-train-this-is-the-coach-experience-one-aisle-two-seats-on-each-side-similar-to-the-average-economy-class-flight-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-apnewsbreak-engineer-in-crash-had-undiagnosed-sleep-apnea-2016-11Engineer in deadly New Jersey train crash had undiagnosed sleep apneahttp://www.businessinsider.com/ap-apnewsbreak-engineer-in-crash-had-undiagnosed-sleep-apnea-2016-11
Wed, 16 Nov 2016 17:32:00 -0500Michael Balsamo and David Klepper
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/57f03d3911c8e71c008b4c3c-569/640x640-32.jpeg" alt="hoboken new jersey train crash" data-mce-source="Reuters/Carlo Allegri" data-mce-caption="A train car is pictured in an aerial photo inside the New Jersey Transit Hoboken Terminal following a train crash in Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S. on September 29, 2016." /></p><p>Two U.S. officials say the engineer of a commuter train that slammed into a New Jersey station at double the 10 mph speed limit, killing a woman, suffered from undiagnosed sleep apnea. One of the officials says investigators are looking at it as a potential cause.</p>
<p>The officials were briefed on the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the matter.</p>
<p>They told the AP on Wednesday that 48-year-old Thomas Gallagher was diagnosed with the condition after the Sept. 29 crash in Hoboken.</p>
<p>The National Transportation Safety Board said it wasn't able to confirm specifics of the engineer's health.</p>
<p>Gallagher told investigators he had no memory of the crash and remembered waking up on the floor.</p>
<p>A union representing Gallagher didn't immediately respond to a message.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-apnewsbreak-engineer-in-crash-had-undiagnosed-sleep-apnea-2016-11#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/bombardier-cutting-thousands-of-jobs-2016-10Bombardier is cutting 7,500 jobs through 2018http://www.businessinsider.com/bombardier-cutting-thousands-of-jobs-2016-10
Fri, 21 Oct 2016 05:40:21 -0400Allison Lampert
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5809e2658d83b400018b5e46-1333/bombardier employee france.jpg" alt="Bombardier Employee France" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Benoit Tessier" data-mce-caption="An employee works on a new regional transport train at the Bombardier plant in Crespin, near Valenciennes, northern France, October 17, 2016." /></p><p>Canadian plane and train maker Bombardier Inc will shed jobs for the second time this year, cutting about 10 percent of its global workforce over two years as it deepens turnaround efforts at its rail division.</p>
<p>The Montreal-based company, which has struggled in recent years with cost overruns in its aerospace unit, said on Friday it will cut about 7,500 jobs, with about two-thirds in Bombardier Transportation. The rest will be in the aerospace division.</p>
<p>The company said restructuring charges of $225 million to $275 million will be accrued as special items, beginning in the fourth quarter and through 2017.</p>
<p>Chief Executive Officer Alain Bellemare said he did not expect the job cuts, which include 1,500 workers in Quebec and 500 in the rest of Canada, would affect the company's talks with the federal government over a $1 billion investment in its CSeries jet program.</p>
<p>"We understand these are difficult decisions ... but in the end what we are going to be left with is a leaner, stronger organization," Bellemare said in an interview, adding the moves were part of a broad turnaround plan aimed at improving operations amid cost and productivity concerns.</p>
<p>Bombardier expects recurring savings of about $300 million by the end of 2018.</p>
<p>In February, the company said it was cutting 10 percent of its workforce, also over two years. Nearly half of the cuts are in its rail arm, which has a large staff in Europe.</p>
<p>"It's a fairly substantial cut," AltaCorp analyst Chris Murray said of the latest move. "The majority of it will be in the transportation group and that makes sense given their move to improve profitability there."</p>
<p>In Northern Ireland, where about 5,000 Bombardier workers design and manufacture aircraft wings, fuselages and other parts and service planes, Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said he would fight to save local jobs.</p>
<p>"Today's announcement by Bombardier will come as a great shock to the Northern Ireland workforce," he said. "It had been our hope that the announcement in February represented a peak in potential job losses."</p>
<p>David Chartrand, Quebec coordinator for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, said "the mood in the shop on the floor is 4,500 frustrated members."</p>
<p>Bellemare said Bombardier will simultaneously be "strategically hiring" for its growth areas: The CSeries family of narrowbody jets and its Global 7000 business jet, which is expected to make its first flight next month. That will be a boost for the Global 7000 whose entry into service has been delayed two years.</p>
<p>Last month, Bombardier sliced in half the 2016 delivery forecast for its CSeries aircraft and said it expected full-year revenue at the lower end of its previously announced range.</p>
<p>The company will also hire staff to support major rail contracts it has won, it said.</p>
<p>Canada's second-largest pension fund, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, owns a 30 percent stake in the rail business, which it bought last November for $1.5 billion. The investment provided a bigger cash cushion for Bombardier's plane-making unit.</p>
<p>Canada's federal government is under pressure from the Quebec government to match that investment. Quebec last year invested $1 billion in the CSeries program for a nearly 50 percent stake in the project.</p>
<p>Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, who is in charge of the negotiations, has cited "good quality jobs" as one factor in the talks.</p>
<p>"I think it has to be very clear that the decisions we are taking are not related to our discussions with the federal government," CEO Bellemare said. "We are doing this because we want to save jobs in Canada." (Editing by Gopakumar Warrier and Jeffrey Benkoe)</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bombardier-cutting-thousands-of-jobs-2016-10#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trailer-martin-scorsese-film-silence-paramount-andrew-garfield-liam-neeson-adam-driver-2016-11">Watch the trailer for the new Martin Scorsese film that took over 20 years to make</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/ge-trains-will-become-self-aware-within-10-years-2016-9GE: Trains will become 'self-aware' within 10 years and run on a network that lights up like a brainhttp://www.businessinsider.com/ge-trains-will-become-self-aware-within-10-years-2016-9
Fri, 23 Sep 2016 13:09:31 -0400Dorothy Pomerantz, GE
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/57e423aeb0ef9737018b78e5-640/ruh-train-gif.gif" alt="Ruh Train GIF" data-mce-source="GE" data-link="http://www.gereports.com/brains-for-trains-how-software-is-making-trains-smarter/"></p><p></p>
<p><em>This post originally appeared on <a href="http://www.gereports.com/">GE Reports</a>:</em></p>
<p>We fly connected planes and design self-driving cars, but what about smart trains?</p>
<p>If you pay close attention, there is the faint sound of the whistle coming from around the digital bend.</p>
<p>At this week’s InnoTrans 2016 transportation trade show in Berlin, for example, GE is unveiling a “superbrain” platform for locomotives that transforms them into mobile data headquarters—helping make trains smarter and faster.</p>
<p>“A decade from now, digital tools will take railroad productivity and efficiency to unprecedented levels,” says Seth Bodnar, chief digital officer at GE Transportation. “The whole network will light up like a brain.”</p>
<p>It’s about time.</p>
<p>Bodnar’s train brain will help railways boost locomotive horsepower, improve operations and burn less fuel.</p>
<p>“It’s really about enabling self-aware trains in a smart ecosystem,” he says.</p>
<p><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/57e42691077dcc5e1a8b6882-1023/3591627144_d5ef1a878d_b.jpg" alt="semi trucks" data-mce-source="John Martinez Pavliga/flickr" data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/virtualsugar/3591627144/in/photolist-6to2BW-87dLgM-aLpoPK-bv2RwB-5m7Za-5eWwM1-7A4EvK-33VrxG-aw5aGB-ejvqoZ-6XXWq8-5eWqNN-KcoRa-iTor8J-7x2iNZ-dna6wK-34pEwb-amr3Pq-4JQ1vo-4zkRcY-KcfWC-rQFy5C-KcgrY-CpQ5JM-5kFsE8-aqjjSd-7Q4UEE-92Rjdf-oTjDa4-5pwQqu-cV9sh7-8WnTtw-9wxv7k-7VFeqm-8WnTuj-6okdms-GYU6KJ-GYU5E7-cnwaud-k2HmGr-a1sMLX-cwemej-6GeKEj-dHx1VB-8WnTvo-92Rj8j-6og2se-cV9s8J-AUh7cY-92NcqD">In the age of consumption and climate change, this is important stuff. For starters, freight has big environmental benefits.</p>
<p>On average, railroads are four <a href="https://www.aar.org/BackgroundPapers/Environmental%20Benefits%20of%20Moving%20Freight%20by%20Rail.pdf" onclick="javascript:window.open('https://www.aar.org/BackgroundPapers/Environmental%20Benefits%20of%20Moving%20Freight%20by%20Rail.pdf'); return false;">times more fuel-efficient</a> than trucks, according to the Association of American Railroads, and moving more freight to rails would cut down on traffic and pollution on highways.</p>
<p>Consider that a single 12-cylinder GE Evolution Series locomotive can pull the equivalent of <a href="http://www.gereports.com/post/79828315397/let-the-train-blow-the-vuvuzela-south-africas/">170 Boeing 747 jetliners</a>.</p>
<p>The brain connects to GoLINC—an onboard software and computing platform that turns a locomotive into what is essentially a mobile data center. The system is already in more than 6,000 trains.</p>
<p>GoLINC allows train operators to gather information from track sensors and cameras to better understand the flow of rail traffic and road conditions. It uses the data to make intelligent decisions, even while traveling through the Rockies or the Mojave Desert.</p>
<p>But the system is just part of GE’s vision for the industry’s digital future.</p>
<p>The company wants to connect all of its 21,000 locomotives, pulling freight and passengers in 50 countries, to <a href="http://www.gereports.com/ready-for-prime-time-ge-opens-predix-its-digital-platform-for-the-industrial-internet-to-everyone/">Predix</a>, its cloud-based software platform for the Industrial Internet.</p>
<p>Right now the U.S. rail industry deals with 500,000 delays a year, and one in every four trains experiences some kind of unplanned downtime.</p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/57e426b3077dcc6b138b76f7-1024/t4sunrise-1024x683.jpg" alt="GE train" data-mce-source="GE" data-mce-caption="GE's Tier 4 Evolution Series locomotive at a test track in Pueblo, Colorado.">By making trains smarter and connecting them to the Industrial Internet, freight companies can reduce this downtime.</p>
<p>GoLINC, working with other Predix train apps such as Trip Optimizer and Yard Planner, can anticipate maintenance problems so operators can resolve them before they become a problem. They can see where lines are running efficiently and where routes need to be reworked.</p>
<p>Even a small improvement in efficiency can make a big difference.</p>
<p>A 1 percent reduction in wait times at stops can save $2.2 billion, GE says. A 1 mph rise in speed can save $2.5 billion.</p>
<p>And while new locomotives, such as GE’s T4, are coming off the production lines complete with sensors and the latest data analytics technology, GE is also upgrading older engines at half the cost of buying a new train.</p>
<p>“We start targeting locomotives for an upgrade when they’re about 15 or 20 years old,” says John Manison, a senior business operations executive for GE’s locomotive modernization program. “But we do modernizations in locomotives up to 40 years old — giving them 20 more years of life is a lot.”</p>
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</div></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ge-trains-will-become-self-aware-within-10-years-2016-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/most-beautiful-train-rides-in-america-2016-9The 10 most beautiful train rides in America, rankedhttp://www.businessinsider.com/most-beautiful-train-rides-in-america-2016-9
Mon, 12 Sep 2016 14:07:03 -0400Jamie Moore
<p>Sit back and watch the world go by on one of America&rsquo;s best train journeys.</p>
<p>You&rsquo;ll cross lofty trestles, swoop through long tunnels, snake alongside rivers, and flank canyons&mdash;seeing parts of the country accessible only by rail. We compared data from<a href="https://www.amtrak.com/home" target="_blank">Amtrak</a>,<a href="http://www.vacationsbyrail.com/" target="_blank">Vacations By Rail</a>, and <a href="http://www.americabyrail.com/" target="_blank">America By Rail</a>, then ranked routes based on popularity and the overall experience of the journey itself. Here are the&nbsp;top 10:</p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/57d6eee5dd0895d4308b4a67-818-584/1.-coast-starlight-700x500.jpg" alt="1. Coast Starlight 700x500" width="818" height="584" data-mce-source="Smarter Travel" /></p>
<h2>1. Coast Starlight</h2>
<p><em>Route:</em> Seattle - Portland - Los Angeles<br /><em>Travel time:</em> 36 hours (one way)<br /><em>Amenities:</em> Dining car, sleeping car, lounge/cafe car, Pacific Parlour car</p>
<p>Travelers come from around the world to experience this gorgeous West Coast train journey. Amtrak&rsquo;s most popular long-distance route and widely regarded as the most stunning, <a href="https://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train" target="_blank">Coast Starlight</a> welcomed more than 455,000 passengers last year.</p>
<p>The Coast Starlight whisks you past waterfalls, lush forests, snowy Cascade Mountains, and the Puget Sound. To see long stretches of Pacific shoreline&mdash;views you won&rsquo;t get from the highway&mdash;book a seat on the west side of the train. If you upgrade from coach to a small private room with beds you&rsquo;ll have upgraded dining and access to the Pacific Parlour Car with its dome windows and evening wine and cheese parties. Want to extend your trip to San Diego? Connect to the popular Pacific Surfliner train at L.A.&rsquo;s Union Station.</p>
<h2><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/57d6eee5dd0895d4308b4a68-700/2.-amtraks-empire-builder-700x500.jpg" alt="2. Amtraks Empire Builder 700x500" width="805" height="575" data-mce-source="Smarter Travel" /></h2>
<h2>2. Amtrak&rsquo;s Empire Builder</h2>
<p><em>Route:</em> Chicago - St. Paul/Minneapolis - Spokane - Portland/Seattle<br /><em>Travel time:</em> 46 hours (one way)<br /><em>Amenities:</em> Dining car, sleeping car, lounge/cafe car</p>
<p>Tracing portions of the Lewis &amp; Clark Trail from America&rsquo;s heartland to the Pacific Northwest, the <a href="https://www.amtrak.com/empire-builder-train" target="_blank">Empire Builder</a> is a great way to see the United States. You&rsquo;ll cross the Mississippi River, venture into Montana&rsquo;s Big Sky country, and pass Glacier National Park.</p>
<p>From Spokane, you can either head south along the Columbia River Gorge to Portland or cut through the Cascade Mountains north to Seattle&rsquo;s Puget Sound. Along the way, mountain passes are marked with lofty trestles and long tunnels, while rivers feature hydroelectric dams and salmon fish ladders. During spring and summer, an onboard volunteer National Park Service ranger shares facts about the landscape. There are plenty of 20-minute stops where you can get out and stretch your legs&mdash;or pick up a pizza delivery.</p>
<h2><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/57d6eee5dd0895d4308b4a69-700/3.-amtraks-california-zephyr-700x500.jpg" alt="3. Amtraks California Zephyr 700x500" width="829" height="592" data-mce-source="Smarter Travel" /></h2>
<h2>3. Amtrak&rsquo;s California Zephyr</h2>
<p><em>Route:</em> Chicago - Denver - Reno &ndash; Sacramento &ndash; Emeryville (San Francisco)<br /><em>Travel time:</em> 51 hours, 20 minutes (one way)<br /><em>Amenities:</em> Dining car, sleeping car, lounge/cafe car</p>
<p>Looking out the windows of the <a href="https://www.amtrak.com/california-zephyr-train" target="_blank">California Zephyr</a>, you&rsquo;ll see the same sights that enchanted 19th-century fortune seekers as they rode the first transcontinental railroad line west to San Francisco and dreamed of striking it rich. This historic line takes you through the heart of Gold Rush country&rsquo;s mining and ghost towns to old stagecoach stations that became stops on the original railroad.</p>
<p>Rocky Mountain tunnels carry you across the Continental Divide, while aspens and evergreens dot the steep cliffs of Glenwood Canyon on the Colorado River. &ldquo;I especially enjoyed the scenery,&rdquo; says James S., a Vacations By Rail Passenger. &ldquo;The highlight was an American eagle flying over the Colorado River right next to the train.&rdquo; The journey ends with one last bucket list sight: the Golden Gate Bridge.</p>
<p><em>Route:</em> Chicago - Albuquerque - Los Angeles<br /><em>Travel time:</em> 40+ hours (one way)<br /><em>Amenities:</em> Dining car, sleeping car, lounge/cafe car</p>
<p>On these rails once ran the nation&rsquo;s first all-Pullman sleeping car train, dubbed the &ldquo;Train of the Stars&rdquo; for the celebrity passengers that frequented it in the late 1930s.</p>
<p>Today, the <a href="https://www.amtrak.com/southwest-chief-train" target="_blank">Southwest Chief</a> follows that same route between Los Angeles and Chicago. Book a sleeping car and enjoy the thrilling curves and switchbacks that lead to some of America&rsquo;s most iconic sights: the Santa Fe Trail, Sedona&rsquo;s red cliffs, pueblos and missions, the Grand Canyon, and the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. Tucked among the grandeur of the American West you&rsquo;ll find beauty in modest, everyday living, too. Watch farmers harvesting expansive wheat fields and dogs playing in back yards. From the window of a train it&rsquo;s fascinating to see how different people live in different parts of the country.</p>
<h2><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/57d6eee5dd0895d4308b4a6a-700/4.-southwest-chief-700x500.jpg" alt="4. Southwest Chief 700x500" width="811" height="579" data-mce-source="4. Southwest Chief Route: Chicago - Albuquerque - Los Angeles Travel time: 40+ hours (one way) Amenities: Dining car, sleeping car, lounge/cafe car On these rails once ran the nation&rsquo;s first all-Pullman sleeping car train, dubbed the &ldquo;Train of the Stars&rdquo; for the celebrity passengers that frequented it in the late 1930s. Today, the Southwest Chief follows that same route between Los Angeles and Chicago. Book a sleeping car and enjoy the thrilling curves and switchbacks that lead to some of America&rsquo;s most iconic sights: the Santa Fe Trail, Sedona&rsquo;s red cliffs, pueblos and missions, the Grand Canyon, and the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. Tucked among the grandeur of the American West you&rsquo;ll find beauty in modest, everyday living, too. Watch farmers harvesting expansive wheat fields and dogs playing in back yards. From the window of a train it&rsquo;s fascinating to see how different people live in different parts of the country." /></h2>
<h2>4. Southwest Chief</h2>
<p><em>Route:</em> Chicago - Albuquerque - Los Angeles<br /><em>Travel time:</em> 40+ hours (one way)<br /><em>Amenities:</em> Dining car, sleeping car, lounge/cafe car</p>
<p>On these rails once ran the nation&rsquo;s first all-Pullman sleeping car train, dubbed the &ldquo;Train of the Stars&rdquo; for the celebrity passengers that frequented it in the late 1930s.</p>
<p>Today, the <a href="https://www.amtrak.com/southwest-chief-train" target="_blank">Southwest Chief</a> follows that same route between Los Angeles and Chicago. Book a sleeping car and enjoy the thrilling curves and switchbacks that lead to some of America&rsquo;s most iconic sights: the Santa Fe Trail, Sedona&rsquo;s red cliffs, pueblos and missions, the Grand Canyon, and the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains. Tucked among the grandeur of the American West you&rsquo;ll find beauty in modest, everyday living, too. Watch farmers harvesting expansive wheat fields and dogs playing in back yards. From the window of a train it&rsquo;s fascinating to see how different people live in different parts of the country.</p>
<h2><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/57d6eee5dd0895d4308b4a6b-700/5.-grand-canyon-railway-700x500.jpg" alt="5. Grand Canyon Railway 700x500" width="848" height="606" data-mce-source="Smarter Travel" /></h2>
<h2>5. Grand Canyon Railway</h2>
<p><em>Route:</em> Williams, Arizona &ndash; South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park &ndash; Williams, Arizona<br /><em>Travel time:</em> 8.25 hours including four-hour stopover (round-trip)<br /><em>Amenities:</em> Cafe car, sleeping car</p>
<p>Arriving at Grand Canyon National Park on this rail line, as visitors did in 1901 when the railway opened, helps you imagine what a remote, inaccessible wonder the canyon once was. You can still ride in the <a href="https://www.thetrain.com/" target="_blank">Grand Canyon Railway</a>&rsquo;s historical cars pulled along by the &ldquo;French Fry Express,&rdquo; a converted 1923 locomotive that now runs on recycled waste vegetable oil from South Rim restaurants.</p>
<p>En route to the canyon are pine forests and sprawling prairies with plenty of chances to spot antelope, the California condor, and wild horses. Onboard, colorful railway characters keep history alive with mock train robberies and cowboy musicians who lead passengers in old-time sing-alongs. Once at the log-cabin style Grand Canyon Depot in the South Rim, you&rsquo;re within walking distance of popular viewpoints and most of the village&rsquo;s historical buildings.</p>
<h2><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/57d6eee5dd0895d4308b4a6c-700/6.-durango-silverton-narrow-gauge-railroad-700x500.jpg" alt="6. Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad 700x500" width="834" height="596" data-mce-source="Smarter Travel" /></h2>
<h2>6. Durango &amp; Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad</h2>
<p><em>Route:</em> Durango, Colorado &ndash; Silverton, Colorado<br /><em>Travel time:</em> 3.5 hours (one way)<br /><em>Amenities:</em> Open-air gondolas, vintage coach cars</p>
<p>Set nearly two feet closer together than standard rail lines, this historic narrow-gauge railroad was built during the silver mining boom specifically so it could hang onto sharper curves and clear tighter spaces on mountainsides. No doubt, the <a href="http://www.durangotrain.com/" target="_blank">Durango &amp; Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad</a> is a thrill to ride along the Animas River. The canyon&rsquo;s rock walls are only inches away in some sections, so tight you&rsquo;re inclined to draw in a breath and make yourself smaller. Along other stretches you can&rsquo;t even see the canyon&rsquo;s edge, only the immense chasm below. Elk occasionally meander near the tracks and bighorn sheep inhabit the cliffsides. From May through October you&rsquo;ll hear stories about the coal-fired, steam-powered engine and the mining legacy of Silverton onboard this rolling National Historic Landmark.</p>
<h2><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/57d6eee5dd0895d4308b4a6d-700/7.-cumbres-toltec-scenic-railroad-700x500.jpg" alt="7. Cumbres Toltec Scenic Railroad 700x500" width="818" height="584" data-mce-source="Smarter Travel" /></h2>
<h2>7. Cumbres &amp; Toltec Scenic Railroad</h2>
<p><em>Route:</em> Chama, New Mexico &ndash; Osier, Colorado &ndash; Antonito, Colorado<br /><em>Travel time:</em> 6.5 hours including stopover (one way)<br /><em>Amenities:</em> Concession car</p>
<p>The longest (64 miles) and highest (10,015 feet) steam railroad in America,<a href="http://cumbrestoltec.com/" target="_blank">Cumbres &amp; Toltec</a> originally served southwest Colorado&rsquo;s silver mining district. Today this scenic railway totes only passengers as it chugs up a 4 percent grade in the San Juan Mountains and edges narrow gorge ledges with views 800 feet straight down. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a &lsquo;Williamsburg on wheels,&rsquo; an authentic National Historic Landmark that moves,&rdquo; says Lee Bates, Cumbres &amp; Toltec&rsquo;s marketing and communications manager.</p>
<p>Passengers can experience history from a parlor car, coach car, or the open-air gondolas, which are especially popular in the fall when the aspens shimmer their golden glow. The train runs Memorial Day through October. Fun trivia: The train has appeared in more than 20 Hollywood movies including <em>Butch Cassidy &amp; the Sundance Kid</em>.</p>
<h2><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/57d6eee5dd0895d4308b4a6e-700/8.-alaska-railroads-coastal-classic-700x500.jpg" alt="8. Alaska Railroads Coastal Classic 700x500" width="820" height="586" data-mce-source="Smarter Travel" /></h2>
<h2>8. Alaska Railroad&rsquo;s Coastal Classic</h2>
<p><em>Route:</em> Anchorage &ndash; Girdwood &ndash; Seward<br /><em>Travel time:</em> 1.25 hours (one way)<br />Amenities: Dining car</p>
<p>From mid-May to mid-September, Alaska&rsquo;s days are long, plants are blooming, wildlife is on the move, and the <a href="https://www.alaskarailroad.com/ride-a-train/our-trains/coastal-classic" target="_blank">Coastal Classic</a> offers daily departures so you can experience it all.</p>
<p>The route, from Anchorage to Seward, follows the shoreline of the Turnagain Arm, where 3,000-foot mountains plunge straight into the ocean. Watch for beluga whales in the inlet and, farther along on the journey, Dall sheep on cliffsides and bear and moose in the backcountry wilderness. The conductor slows the train for wildlife and glacier photo ops. Once you reach Seward, there&rsquo;s a seven-hour stopover with plenty of touring options&mdash;including boat cruises, national park tours, glacier treks, and sled dog rides&mdash;before you return by rail to Anchorage in the evening.</p>
<h2><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/57d6eee5dd0895d4308b4a6f-700/9.-amtraks-adirondack-700x500.jpg" alt="9. Amtraks Adirondack 700x500" width="818" height="584" data-mce-source="Smarter Travel" /></h2>
<h2>9. Amtrak&rsquo;s Adirondack</h2>
<p><em>Route:</em> New York &ndash; Saratoga Springs &ndash; Montreal<br /><em>Travel time: </em>10 hours (one way)<br /><em>Amenities:</em> Cafe car</p>
<p>Leave New York City in the morning and Amtrak&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.amtrak.com/adirondack-train" target="_blank">Adirondack</a> will take you through charming towns and along the beautiful Hudson River Valley, delivering you to Montreal by dinnertime. If you travel in autumn, you&rsquo;ll look out over deep woods and vineyards bathed in color.</p>
<p>Between New York City and Albany, meticulously kept mansions line the banks of the wide blue Hudson River. It&rsquo;s easy to see how the natural splendor of this valley inspired an entire artistic genre. Other don&rsquo;t-miss sights along the route include the Adirondack Mountains, the Palisades, West Point Academy&rsquo;s riverfront stone battlements, and the Bannerman&rsquo;s Castle ruins.</p>
<h2><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/57d6eee5dd0895d4308b4a70-700/10.-cass-scenic-railroad-700x500.jpg" alt="10. Cass Scenic Railroad 700x500" width="830" height="593" data-mce-source="Smarter Travel" /></h2>
<h2>10. Cass Scenic Railroad</h2>
<p><em>Route:</em> Cass, West Virginia &ndash; Whittaker Station &ndash; Bald Knob &ndash; Cass<br /><em>Travel time:</em> 4.5 hours (round-trip)<br /><em>Amenities:</em> Ticket includes museum admission and logging camp tour</p>
<p>In the mountains of West Virginia, steam-driven Shay locomotives still run on the same line once used to haul lumber to the mill in Cass in 1901. The old logging flat cars have since been refurbished to <a href="http://www.cassrailroad.com/" target="_blank">carry passengers</a> from May through October.</p>
<p>Pistons pulse, black smoke puffs, and the whistle sounds as the train chuffs out of the station. First stop: the recreated 1940s logging camp at Whittaker Station, where there&rsquo;s time to wander and grab a snack. On the full four-and-a-half-hour round-trip to Bald Knob, you&rsquo;ll continue on for the climb up to the state&rsquo;s third-highest point, stopping off at a spring so the train can take on more water to produce its steam power. This extra stretch includes lunch and spectacular views at 4,700 feet.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/most-beautiful-train-rides-in-america-2016-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/income-state-top-one-percent-salary-map-2016-11">Here's how much you need to make to be in the top 1% of every state</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/hsbc-charts-under-investment-and-surge-in-passengers-explain-hellish-train-commute-conditions-2016-8These 2 charts show why your train commute in Britain is hellhttp://www.businessinsider.com/hsbc-charts-under-investment-and-surge-in-passengers-explain-hellish-train-commute-conditions-2016-8
Mon, 22 Aug 2016 09:44:21 -0400Oscar Williams-Grut
<p>Train journeys in the UK have sky-rocketed since the early 1990s while investment has failed to keep pace, explaining why commuting on the train can be such an over-crowded, horrible experience.</p>
<p>Two charts from HSBC included in a recent note neatly underline the problem with the UK's rail network.</p>
<p>First, flat-lining investment:&nbsp;<img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/57bb01cfdd08956b1a8b473c-771/road investment .jpg" alt="road investment " data-mce-source="HSBC" />Rail investment has basically remained range-bound at between&nbsp;0.3-0.4% of GDP from the late 1990s onwards. That might be fine if demand was stable and it was just an issue of maintaining the railways.</p>
<p>But guess what &mdash; that is not the case! Chart two shows passenger numbers have rocketed since the early 1990s:<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/57bb01cfdd08956b1a8b473d-761/train.jpg" alt="train" data-mce-source="HSBC" /></p>
<p>The surge in train travel coincides the introduction of the rail franchising system in the late 1990s. A report last year found <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/14/train-journey-numbers-double-since-privatisation-railways-uk-report">the number of train journeys made each year has doubled since 1998</a> when private operators took over the running of the UK train network from British rail.</p>
<p>But the UK's railway system has not evolved at the same rate.&nbsp;In recent years Network Rail, which is responsible for maintaining the train lines, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/network-rail-full-year-results-2015-company-spent-100-million-a-week-upgrading-trains-2015-6">has had its budget cut by the government</a>, which was trying to balance its own books. Most of its spending on the rail network has also <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/network-rail-full-year-results-2015-company-spent-100-million-a-week-upgrading-trains-2015-6">gone on maintaining and fixing parts of the network</a>, rather than upgrading.</p>
<p>HSBC think it is time to change all this.</p>
<p>In a note sent to clients on Monday titled "When uncertainty reigns, look to Keynes," chief UK economist Simon Wells and economist Liz Martins argue that the government should start spending on infrastructure projects to boost economic growth and combat the expected Brexit slowdown.</p>
<p>Wells and Martin say:&nbsp;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"UK infrastructure investment has been low by international standards over the past 20 years (Chart 5). Investment in roads (as a percentage of GDP) has fallen since the mid-1990s (Chart 7), although road journeys have flattened off. But rail investment has remained fairly constant despite a massive rise in passenger numbers (Chart 8). Demands on the rail network are projected to rise further. The new National Infrastructure Commission predicts that the number of London commuter journeys in "crowded conditions" will rise by 50% by the 2030s."</p>
<p><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/hsbc-boost-public-sector-spending-unsustainable-debt-spiral-2016-8">You can read more about HSBC's recommendations here.</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hsbc-charts-under-investment-and-surge-in-passengers-explain-hellish-train-commute-conditions-2016-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/martin-shkreli-twitter-students-recreate-daraprim-drug-2016-12">Martin Shkreli goes on a raging tweetstorm in response to high school students recreating his $750 drug for $2</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/animated-map-high-speed-rail-network-united-states-2016-8This animated map shows how radically a high-speed train system would improve travel in the UShttp://www.businessinsider.com/animated-map-high-speed-rail-network-united-states-2016-8
Mon, 08 Aug 2016 06:31:00 -0400Alex Kuzoian
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<p><br>The US's railroad network is made up of around 140,000 miles of track, but many of our trains are slow and outdated. Over the last couple of decades, countries like China, Japan, the UK, and France have made large investments in high-speed rail, and <a href="http://www.ushsr.com/ushsr/aboutus.html">some groups</a> in the US are urging that we do the same.</p>
<p>Here's what a high-speed rail network could look like in the US.</p>
<p><strong>Follow BI Video:</strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/BI_Video?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">On Twitter</a><em><br></em></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/animated-map-high-speed-rail-network-united-states-2016-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-cable-railways-that-defy-gravity-2016-713 amazing funicular railways that defy gravityhttp://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-cable-railways-that-defy-gravity-2016-7
Wed, 13 Jul 2016 16:17:00 -0400Eric Grundhauser
<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5786a1eadd089598338b461a-2048/roy-luck-flickr-funicular.jpg" alt="roy luck flickr funicular" data-mce-source="Roy Luck/Flickr"></p><p></p>
<p>Regular trains are okay. But where are the lofty thrills? The really wondrous locomotives are funiculars: inclined cable railways with weird cars that are slanted, tiered, or supported by a wedge in order to keep you upright while they transport you up steep hills.</p>
<p>All over the globe, there are hundreds of funicular railways carrying people up the slopes and slants of our world, without causing them to so much as spill their drink. Since each one must be built to accommodate its specific bit of challenging geography, no two funiculars are the same, and each one bears its own off-kilter design. Check out 14 of the world's most amazing funiculars below, and if you know of one we forgot, <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/admin/places/new">feel free to add it to the Atlas</a>! </p><h3>1. The Niesenbahn - Mülenen, Switzerland</h3>
<p><p><biembeddedobject id="87b68585-540e-4e59-8225-01dc602d9f48" style="width: 800px; height: autopx;" class="instagram">Instagram Embed:<br />http://instagram.com/p/BHxd5fyhcEy/embed/<br />Width: 800px<br /></biembeddedobject></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>One of the longest and highest funiculars in the world, the Niesenbahn in Switzerland is an engineering marvel. First opened in 1910, this 11,500-foot-long funicular carries riders up over 5,000 feet from start to finish.</h3>
<p><p><biembeddedobject id="0cade107-7853-4f66-adab-e46bab6d805f" style="width: 800px; height: autopx;" class="instagram">Instagram Embed:<br />http://instagram.com/p/dpLQabpHMC/embed/<br />Width: 800px<br /></biembeddedobject></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p></p>
<br/><br/><h3>The historic cars and tracks have been cared for and restored over the years, and the inclined railway continues to carry people up the slope over a century after it started.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5786a1eadd089598338b461c-400-300/the-historic-cars-and-tracks-have-been-cared-for-and-restored-over-the-years-and-the-inclined-railway-continues-to-carry-people-up-the-slope-over-a-century-after-it-started.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-cable-railways-that-defy-gravity-2016-7#/#2-montmartre-funicular-paris-france-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-3-billion-dollar-subway-expansion-2016-6Dubai is planning a 9-mile extension of its subway — and it will cost almost $3 billion to buildhttp://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-3-billion-dollar-subway-expansion-2016-6
Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:47:00 -0400Brad Streicher
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<p class="embed-spacer">Dubai is hosting the <a href="http://expo2020dubai.ae/">World Expo</a> in 2020. To prepare for the crowds of people, the country is building out its subway to the tune of almost $3 billion.</p>
<p class="embed-spacer"><em>Video courtesy of Associated Press.</em></p>
<p class="embed-spacer"><strong>Follow TI:</strong> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/techinsider">On Facebook</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-3-billion-dollar-subway-expansion-2016-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/japanese-sightseeing-train-in-niigata-2016-6This incredible Japanese train design will make every commuter jealoushttp://www.businessinsider.com/japanese-sightseeing-train-in-niigata-2016-6
Thu, 23 Jun 2016 07:35:00 -0400Gene Kim and Rob Ludacer
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<p>What can be better than sitting on a comfortable <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/blow-up-couch-takes-seconds-to-inflate-lamzac-2016-5">couch</a> watching beautiful landscapes pass by while enjoying a delicious <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/best-french-restaurants-in-america-2016-5">French meal</a>? In collaboration between Japanese train designer <a href="http://www.ichibansen.com/" target="_blank">Ichibansen</a> and <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">architecture firm <a href="http://www.ichibansen.com/" target="_blank">Nextstations</a></span>, a sightseeing train, <span id="docs-internal-guid-026ae79f-7481-e17d-64c3-7d8672860ec5"><span>“Echigo TOKImeki Resort Setsugekka”, was created.</span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><em>Produced by <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/author/gene-kim">Gene Kim</a> and </em><span class="s2"><em><a href="http://www.techinsider.io/author/rob-ludacer">Rob Ludacer</a>.</em></span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Follow TI:</strong> <span class="s2"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/techinsider">On Facebook</a></span></span></p>
<p><span><span> </span></span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/brooklyn-bridge-park-favorite-thing-to-do-in-new-york-city-2016-6" >I've lived in New York City for 22 years and my favorite thing to do costs $5.50</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/japanese-sightseeing-train-in-niigata-2016-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/125-mph-hybrid-train-will-transform-travel-across-florida-2016-6This 125-mph hybrid train will transform travel across Florida's east coasthttp://www.businessinsider.com/125-mph-hybrid-train-will-transform-travel-across-florida-2016-6
Sat, 18 Jun 2016 08:00:00 -0400Julia Naftulin
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/576453298e91c6fd1b1eb2bf-447-298/brightlinetrainfront.jpg" alt="brightlinetrainfront" width="447" height="298" border="0" />Siemens made its interest in building hybrid-transportation technology known when it signed a deal earlier this year with </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-airbus-siemens-to-work-together-on-electrically-powered-planes-2016-4"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Airbus</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to create&nbsp;hybrid-electric planes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The industrial firm will continue to work with&nbsp;hybrid transportation as it&nbsp;builds&nbsp;diesel-electric high-speed trains for&nbsp;Brightline, a privately funded transportation venture.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a 600,000-square-foot production factory in Sacramento, California, Siemens employees weld, wire, and paint Brightline trains that will travel Florida's east coast, from Miami to Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach, <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/06/siemens-brightline-florida-factory-trains/?mbid=social_twitter">reports Wired</a>. The trains will reach speeds upward of 125 mph, thanks to one of the newest engines on the market: the Cummins QSK95.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span>&ldquo;The idea of being able to connect downtown Miami to Fort Lauderdale in 30 minutes really changes the way that we think people are going to move about,&rdquo; Brightline President Michael Reininger told Wired.</span></span></p>
<p>Siemens is also producing 69 diesel-electric trains for the Illinois, California, Michigan, Missouri, Washington, and Maryland Departments of Transportation.&nbsp;Brightline's trains will be available for travelers in a year's time and, according to the <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-brightline-update-20160513-story.html">Sun Sentinel</a>, its rails should extend to Orlando by the end of 2017.</p>
<p>You can see more photos of the train and its construction below.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/38-beautiful-photos-of-train-travel-in-the-us-2016-6" >38 photos that show how darn romantic it can still be to ride a train around the US</a></strong></p>
<h3>Each Cummins 16-cylinder engine weighs 42,000 pounds and must be dropped by crane into individual locomotives. The engines have a horsepower of 4,400.</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/57645492918a0f3c58de7aba-400-300/each-cummins-16-cylinder-engine-weighs-42000-pounds-and-must-be-dropped-by-crane-into-individual-locomotives-the-engines-have-a-horsepower-of-4400.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>The massive engines generate the trains' electricity, while cables that span a total of 42 miles provide electricity for movement, lights, and passengers' electronic devices.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5764578052bcd026008ca140-400-300/the-massive-engines-generate-the-trains-electricity-whilecables-that-span-a-total-of-42-miles-provide-electricity-for-movement-lights-and-passengers-electronic-devices.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Coaches will be equipped with Wi-Fi, power outlets, reclining seats, and large windows that provide panoramic views. Aisles are 32 inches wide to accommodate the disabled.</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/57645bf852bcd022008ca188-400-300/coaches-will-be-equipped-with-wi-fi-power-outlets-reclining-seats-and-large-windows-that-provide-panoramic-views-aisles-are-32-inches-wide-to-accommodate-the-disabled.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/125-mph-hybrid-train-will-transform-travel-across-florida-2016-6#/#the-commuter-cars-will-be-painted-combinations-of-red-orange-green-blue-and-pink-and-will-follow-yellow-locomotives-on-the-train-tracks-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/r-stop-oil-by-rail-in-our-state-oregon-asks-federal-regulator-2016-6Oregon wants to ban oil trains from traveling through the statehttp://www.businessinsider.com/r-stop-oil-by-rail-in-our-state-oregon-asks-federal-regulator-2016-6
Thu, 16 Jun 2016 20:20:00 -0400Devika Krishna Kumar, Luc Cohen and Jessica Resnick-Ault
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/576323e55124c91d226bc672-450-300/stop-oil-by-rail-in-our-state-oregon-asks-federal-regulator.jpg" alt="Smoke billows from a derailed oil train near Mosier, Oregon, U.S. in this handout photo released to Reuters June 3, 2016. Courtesy of Columbia Riverkeeper/Handout via REUTERS " border="0" /></p><p></p>
<p><span>Oregon has called for federal regulators to ban trains carrying oil in the state, ramping up pressure for more stringent safety checks weeks after an oil train derailed near Portland, the first major oil-by-rail accident in a year.</span></p>
<p><span>In a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration dated June 8, the Oregon Department of Transportation said preliminary findings of an investigation suggested inspectors might not be able to determine the cause.</span></p>
<p><span>In the accident, a Union Pacific train carrying crude oil derailed, burst into flames and spilled crude along Oregon's scenic Columbia River gorge. Nobody was injured.</span></p>
<p><span>A preliminary investigation suggested a failure with a bolt that fastened the rail to the railroad ties.</span></p>
<p><span>A spokesman for the FRA said the agency will respond to the letter.</span></p>
<p><span>Oregon is the first U.S. state to request such a move, although environmental lobbyists have called for years for a moratorium on oil trains after a series of explosive accidents.</span></p>
<p><span>Lac-Megantic, in Canada's Quebec province, issued a moratorium on crude-by-rail in the town after a disastrous accident killed 47 people in 2013.</span></p>
<p><span>Washington State Governor Jay Inslee on Thursday renewed calls in a letter to the Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx for the government to lower speed limits for oil trains, speed up the switch to newer tank cars and introduce electronic brakes.</span></p>
<p><span>Experts said it was unlikely federal authorities would enforce ban such as Oregon requested.</span></p>
<p><span>"The states could do it on their own. I don't know that the FRA necessarily would," said Tom Williamson, who owns Transportation Consultants.</span></p>
<p><span>"We move a lot of products in this country that are a lot more hazardous than crude oil."</span></p>
<p><span>Washington State does not believe it has the authority to call a moratorium on oil trains, a spokeswoman for Inslee said. The state passed a law last year requiring operators to notify first responders when a train was entering the state.</span></p>
<h2><span>Quebec to Oregon</span></h2>
<p><span><img class="center" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/541994f16bb3f783468e9648-2400/crude-oil-train-1.jpg" alt="Crude oil train" data-mce-source="REUTERS/Rick Wilking" data-mce-caption="A crude oil train moves past the loading rack at the Eighty-Eight Oil LLC's transloading facility in Ft. Laramie." /></span></p>
<p><span>Oregon does not have any refineries, but its railroads carry crude from major U.S. producing hubs like North Dakota to feed refineries in Washington to the north. Five refineries with combined capacity 800,000 barrels per day operate there.</span></p>
<p><span>"If there's a successful ban on crude-by-rail, it's going to be displaced, and we will get crude over the water," Marcia Nielsen, a spokeswoman for U.S. Oil &amp; Refining Co, which operates a refinery in Tacoma, Washington.</span></p>
<p><span>Rail shipments have dipped from more than 1 million barrels per day in 2014 as a result of the lengthy slump in oil prices, but this month's crash reignited calls for tighter safety regulations even as train operators prepare for new laws, which come into effect in 2018.</span></p>
<h2><span>Train caution</span></h2>
<p><span>BNSF railroad urged caution against a blanket ban that would impede interstate commerce.</span></p>
<p><span>"It is important to remember that hazardous materials are an essential part of providing for public safety and health, and for driving our economy," a spokeswoman for the company, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, said in a statement.</span></p>
<p><span>"Preventing these trains from getting to their destinations could have a negative impact on Washington&rsquo;s ability to provide reliable fuel that drives the state's economy."</span></p>
<p><span>The company said it has also been developing predictive analytics to discover potential issues before they arise.</span></p>
<p><span>Justin Jacobs, a spokesman for Union Pacific, said the company would continue to transport crude oil safely and according to federal law.</span></p>
<p><span>"We absolutely understand the concerns out there. We take them very seriously. Safety is a top priority," he said.</span></p>
<p><em>Reporting by Devika Krishna Kumar, Luc Cohen and Jessica Resnick-Ault. Writing by Josephine Mason. Editing by Cynthia Osterman.</em></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-stop-oil-by-rail-in-our-state-oregon-asks-federal-regulator-2016-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/defunct-oil-rig-hotel-for-divers-2016-3">This defunct oil rig in the middle of the ocean is now a cool hotel for divers</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/what-londons-crossrail-looks-like-2016-5Take a tour of London's new super-sleek train systemhttp://www.businessinsider.com/what-londons-crossrail-looks-like-2016-5
Wed, 18 May 2016 14:08:00 -0400Chris Weller
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/573cafabdd08953e738b45d5-2048-1106/26639682590_52eca12e65_k.jpg" alt="london crossrail" data-mce-source="Crossrail Project" /></p><p>In 2018, the largest construction project in Europe &mdash; a massive renovation to London's Underground known as Crossrail &mdash; will finally reach completion.</p>
<p>Serving more than 200 million people each year, Crossrail will feature&nbsp;10 new train lines, some embedded more than 100 feet into the earth, and connect 30 existing stations via brand-new tunnels.</p>
<p>Here's what the master plan will look like in action.</p><h3>Since 2012, more than $20 billion has been directed toward the construction of Crossrail. Approximately 10,000 people work on the project at over 40 sites around the city.</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/573cafabdd08953e738b45d7-400-300/since-2012-more-than-20-billion-has-been-directed-toward-the-construction-of-crossrail-approximately-10000-people-work-on-the-project-at-over-40-sites-around-the-city.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Once it opens in late 2018, the system will be named after Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.</h3>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/573cafabdd08953e738b45d8-400-300/once-it-opens-in-late-2018-the-system-will-be-named-after-her-majesty-queen-elizabeth.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Crossrail says the goal of the project is to expand London's public transportation while also simplifying the process of getting around.</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/573cafabdd08953e738b45d9-400-300/crossrail-says-the-goal-of-the-project-is-to-expand-londons-public-transportation-while-also-simplifying-the-process-of-getting-around.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-londons-crossrail-looks-like-2016-5#/#in-practice-that-looks-like-wide-open-spaces-with-minimal-visual-clutter-people-will-be-able-to-focus-on-reaching-their-destination-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/japanese-bullet-train-art-gallery-2016-5This Japanese bullet train holds the world's fastest moving art galleryhttp://www.businessinsider.com/japanese-bullet-train-art-gallery-2016-5
Mon, 16 May 2016 09:03:00 -0400Clinton Nguyen
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/57376854dd0895de4b8b4875-1080-540/12976474_834708689967551_673491016_n.jpg" alt="12976474_834708689967551_673491016_n" data-mce-source="ayaco_27/Instagram" data-link="https://www.instagram.com/p/BEzTa2MnDUD/"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">High-speed trains in Japan, also known as shinkansen<em>, </em>are far more than mere transportation from point A to point B — they can also function as fast-moving art galleries.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One train in particular cobbles together the works of groups of artists and photographers into a cohesive collection that riders can enjoy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Passengers of the Genbi Shinkansen train on the Jōetsu Shinkansen line can see works from six Japanese artists, <a href="http://azito-art.com/artists/paramodel/">the Paramodel collective</a>, and New York-based artist Brian Alfred on their trip.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The train itself is also covered with a decal featuring another contributing artist's work. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/BFJi4gYi5Jr/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">新潟たび❕22 現美新幹線🚄 I went to Niigata.GENBI Shinkansen. 5/1 現美新幹線の外装❇蜷川実花さんの写真で覆われています #新潟 #蜷川実花 #niigata #genbi #現美新幹線 #新幹線 #icu_japan #instagramers #ig_japan #instagramjapan #loves_nippon #jp_gallery #team_jp_ #wu_japan #ptk_japan #写真撮ってる人と繋がりたい #写真好きな人と繋がりたい #カメラ好きな人と繋がりたい #カメラ女子 #ファインダー越しの私の世界 #tokyocameraclub</a>
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<p style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#c9c8cd; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by igjn75 (@igjn75) on May 8, 2016 at 7:11am PDT on
<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2016-05-08T14:11:12+00:00">May 8, 2016 at 7:11am PDT</time></p>
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<p class="embed-spacer">Shinkansen, or "bullet trains" as they're more commonly called, run at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. By comparison, Acela Express, the fastest train line in the United States, runs at an average speed of 68 miles per hour and <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2013-12-09/news/44946865_1_amtrak-and-california-northeast-corridor-acela-express-trains">150 miles per hour</a> in limited stretches.</p>
<p>And unlike a regular commuter train like the Amtrak where windows cover both sides of the train, only one side of the Genbi Shinkansen is covered with windows; the other is reserved for art.</p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/BEFh3vxLsvr/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">試乗会！ 出発進行！ #現美新幹線 #genbishinkansen</a>
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<p style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#c9c8cd; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by kiwasa (@kinukoi) on Apr 11, 2016 at 9:14pm PDT on
<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2016-04-12T04:14:00+00:00">Apr 11, 2016 at 9:14pm PDT</time></p>
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<p class="embed-spacer">There's even a play area designed especially for kids, complete with an elaborate train set. Very meta:</p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/BEDd9czp2k1/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">13号車はパラモデル(林泰彦、中野裕介) さん作品。 キッズスペース 触れられるアート Total Produce TRANSIT GENERAL OFFICE #現美新幹線 #genbishinkansen The Traveling Art Gallery “Genbi Shinkansen” JR East is proud to announce the world’s fastest art experience, called “Genbi Shinkansen”, scheduled to open in the spring of 2016 on the Joetsu Shinkansen as it travels between Echigo Yuzawa and Niigata Stations. 210km/h</a>
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<p style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#c9c8cd; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A video posted by Saya Matsunami (@sayafull) on Apr 11, 2016 at 2:01am PDT on
<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2016-04-11T09:01:20+00:00">Apr 11, 2016 at 2:01am PDT</time></p>
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<p class="embed-spacer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As Instagram users show, they also have access to lounges as well as a bakery and coffee shop.</span> </p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://instagram.com/p/BFIhId3Rgms/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">#現美新幹線 #5#新幹線 #新潟 #食堂車 食堂車も完備。なんかこういうの懐かしい。その奥はお子様用のプラレールで遊べるキッズルーム。 カフェで昨日店舗で飲んだつばめコーヒーをいただきながら、田んぼと山間部を見てのんびりしてたらあっという間に越後湯沢に到着。わずか1時間の快適な移動でした。 こんな新幹線なら、3時間くらいの移動だったとしても楽しく快適に移動できそう。 そして今日でGWもおしまい。 #GW #ツバメコーヒー #コーヒー #カフェ #珈琲 #coffee #cafe #DiningCar #bullettrain #art #現代美術</a>
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<p style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#c9c8cd; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by moto  (@motoyak) on May 7, 2016 at 9:36pm PDT on
<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2016-05-08T04:36:39+00:00">May 7, 2016 at 9:36pm PDT</time></p>
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<p class="embed-spacer">Fares are actually pretty reasonable. JR East, the railway company that manages the train, places fares at anywhere from 1,020 Yen ($9.36 USD) for a single 2.3-mile stop from Tokyo to Ueno. The full 207-mile journey from Tokyo to Niigata is around $100 at today's conversion rates, which compared to a less-scenic and far slower trip from New York City to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a heck of a deal.</p>
<p class="embed-spacer">JR East is also planning on launching a sleeper train line in 2017 that will be the whole nine yards: a four-day vacation excursion up and down the coast of Japan for $9,200 a person.</p>
<p class="embed-spacer">And I'm sitting here hoping I'll be in a Hyperloop within my lifetime.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/japanese-bullet-train-art-gallery-2016-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hyperloop-test-video-2016-5">We're one step closer to the Hyperloop — here's close-up video of the first test run</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/network-rail-to-be-valued-at-100-billion-more-because-of-new-accounting-2016-4Network Rail added £100 billion to its value because of an 'accounting quirk'http://www.businessinsider.com/network-rail-to-be-valued-at-100-billion-more-because-of-new-accounting-2016-4
Mon, 11 Apr 2016 04:42:25 -0400Matthew Nitch Smith
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/570b637edd0895c1298b4a28-2667-2000/nework rail.jpg" alt="Nework Rail" data-mce-source="Bath Business" data-link="http://www.bath-business.net/major-upgrade-in-west-routes-confirmed-by-network-rail/" /></p><p>Network Rail &mdash; Britain's state-owned rail operator &mdash; will add at least &pound;100 billion ($141 billion) to its value this summer because of an "accounting quirk" <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/04/10/network-rail-revaluation-adds-100bn-to-accounts/">according to the Telegraph</a>.</p>
<p>Network Rail's current valuation is &pound;54.1 billion ($76.4 billion).</p>
<p>The Telegraph says the added value is based on an "accounting quirk of privatisation from the 1990s that values Network Rail according to estimated future passenger fares."</p>
<p>This new valuation would mean Network Rail is worth more than Highway England, another state owned company that builds and maintains Britain's roads.</p>
<p>Highway England is valued at &pound;111.9 billion, which takes into account how much it would cost to replace England's motorways and A-roads. The government decided to value Network Rail in the same way, which meant a considerably higher valuation.</p>
<p>Minutes from a meeting of the Financial Reporting Advisory Board &mdash; which guides the government on its accounting &mdash; confirm it has been working on the new valuation, The Telegraph added.</p>
<p>This will be welcome news for Network Rail, who have had a tough time in recent years.</p>
<p>Chairman Richard Parry Jones was replaced by Sir Peter Hendy in 2015 after a series of missed budgetary targets.</p>
<p>The company says that <a href="http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/729.aspx">over the past 20 years passenger numbers have doubled</a>, and that more than 4.5 million people use the network every day. This equates to almost 1.7 billion passenger journeys a year.</p>
<p>Network Rail did not respond the valuation news at the time of writing.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/network-rail-to-be-valued-at-100-billion-more-because-of-new-accounting-2016-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-madoff-talks-crimes-rare-audio-recording-2016-12">Bernie Madoff explains in rare interview from prison how he rationalized his crimes</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/a-japanese-railway-company-is-launching-an-invisible-train-2016-4A Japanese railway company is launching an 'invisible train'http://www.businessinsider.com/a-japanese-railway-company-is-launching-an-invisible-train-2016-4
Sat, 09 Apr 2016 18:18:00 -0400Ken Hanly
<p><a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=Tokyo%2C+Japan&amp;z=4" target="_blank" title="Tokyo, Japan"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/57097cc891058425008bbae1-1500-1125/japaninvisibletrain.png" alt="Japan invisible train" data-mce-source="Seibu Railway"></a>Tokyo<span> - Seibu Railway wants to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2018 by launching a new line of speedy commuter trains that will "blend into the landscape".</span><span><br></span></p>
<p><span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seibu_Railway" target="_blank">Seibu Railway</a><span> is a Japanese conglomerate based in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan. Its principal businesses are in railways, tourism, and real estate. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Its railway operations are in northwest Tokyo, and Saitama prefecture. The new trains are "reflective" rather than invisible and meant to blend in with the landscape.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Famous Japanese architect </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazuyo_Sejima" target="_blank">Kazuyo Sejima </a><span>has been hired to create the design. Her designs are known for her modernist elements. She uses clean, shiny surfaces, often of glass, marble, or metals.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span> She likes her buildings to have a fluid transition from interior to exteriors. In 2010, Sejima received the Pritzker Prize with Ryue Nishizawa who is Sejima's partner in their firm. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The </span><a href="http://jalopnik.com/japans-invisible-train-should-be-running-by-2018-1769955328" target="_blank">Pritzker prize</a><span> is awarded to “architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision, and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.” Sejima has never designed a train before.</span></span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://jalopnik.com/japans-invisible-train-should-be-running-by-2018-1769955328" target="_blank">Sejima i</a><span>s quoted as saying: </span><q>“The limited express travels in a variety of different sceneries, from the mountains of Chichibu to the middle of Tokyo, and I thought it would be good if the train could gently co-exist with this variety of scenery.</q></span></p>
<p><span><q>I also would like it to be a limited express where large numbers of people can all relax in comfort, in their own way, like a living room, so that they think to themselves ‘I look forward to riding that train again.".</q></span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2016/03/18/kazuyo-sejima-japanese-express-commuter-train-seibu-group/" target="_blank">The exterior </a><span>on the Red Arrow commuter train will be coated with semi-transparent and mirrored surfaces. Sejima claims the surfaces will be something never seen before now. The interior will feel like a living room so that passengers can relax while travelling. </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The environmental impact of the train has not been discussed as yet. Seibu operates about 111 miles of tracks. The new train is to start with seven 8-car trains in 2018. The vehicles will be built by Hitachi Ltd. a company which builds Japan's 200 mph. Shinkansen trains.</span><span><br></span></span></p>
<h2><span>There's more in the video below:</span></h2>
<p><span><div>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/o0b4pBGWw1Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/a-japanese-railway-company-is-launching-an-invisible-train-2016-4#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ykk-zipper-label-almost-every-2016-11">Why almost every pair of jeans has a zipper that says ‘YKK’</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-most-luxurious-train-journeys-2016-34 luxurious train journeys that will make you feel like 19th-century royaltyhttp://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-most-luxurious-train-journeys-2016-3
Tue, 22 Mar 2016 12:12:53 -0400Shandana Durrani
<p class="lead"><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/56f165df910584155c8b7e05-2000-1334/ticket to ride 1.jpg" alt="ticket to ride 1" data-mce-source="via GoodLife Report" /></p><p>Before the advent of the automobile, most travelers traversed the countryside via rail. Whether Stateside or overseas, tourists and locals ate in opulent dining cars, reclined in wood-paneled lounges and slept in lavish staterooms with all the comforts of home&mdash;if your home was a palatial estate. While cars have made rail travel almost obsolete in the United States, trains are still a great way to get around overseas.<span id="more-523"></span></p>
<p>Every summer, throngs of American tourists head to Europe with their Eurail passes in hand, ready to see the continent the way locals do. But these trains don&rsquo;t offer luxury. Several rail journeys exist that exude the opulence of yore, with guest amenities that rival the world&rsquo;s finest luxury hotels. Here are our favorites:</p>
<h3>Orient Express</h3>
<p><span>Mystery writer Agatha Christie immortalized it in print and no luxury train travel story is complete without the biggest outfitter of them all, the </span><a href="http://www.orient-express.com/">Orient Express</a><span>. Orient Express services three continents&mdash;Europe, Asia and South America&mdash;and has been offering luxury trips since 1883. Many first-timers head on the Royal Scotsman or the British Pullman because such trains offer scenic daylong journeys through the United Kingdom. But arguably the most popular Orient Express itinerary is the six-day, five-night Venice Simplon. Trains run from London to Venice and guests stay in restored Art Deco carriages that evoke Christie&rsquo;s time&mdash;each carriage has its own long and fraught history. Cabins double as a private lounge and a sleeping compartment, with an upper and lower bed and windows with views of the majestic scenery. Doubles have their own sinks as well as 24-hour butler service. French chefs prepare sumptuous meals in three dining cars.</span></p>
<p><span><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/56f165df91058426008b7f4d-2000-1333/ticket to ride 2.jpg" alt="ticket to ride 2" data-mce-source="via GoodLife Report" /></span></p>
<p><span><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/56f165df91058422008b8006-2000-1333/ticket to ride 3.jpg" alt="ticket to ride 3" data-mce-source="via GoodLife Report" /></span></p>
<h3><span><strong>Maharajas Express</strong></span></h3>
<p><span><span>Princely palaces. Spiritual temples. Sacred cities. India&rsquo;s </span><a href="http://www.rirtl.com/">Maharajas Express</a><span> hits them all. This new luxury journey&mdash;the inaugural trip took place in March 2010&mdash;takes riders on a seven-night, six-day journey from Delhi to Kolkata. You&rsquo;ll see the Taj Mahal in Agra, the sacred city of Varanasi, the temples of Khajuraho and the Ganges River. It&rsquo;s the first pan-Indian luxury train, with room for 84 passengers in 20 deluxe cabins, 18 junior suites, four regular suites and one palatial, single-carriage presidential suite. The cabins are some of the world&rsquo;s most spacious, with twin or double beds, eco-friendly bathrooms, LCD TVs and air-cushioned suspension. Two restaurants, a safari-themed bar and a manly club lounge complete the experience.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/56f165df52bcd01a008b7ed0-2000-1365/ticket to ride 4.jpg" alt="ticket to ride 4" data-mce-source="via GoodLife Report" /></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/56f165df52bcd066018b7fbb-2000-1158/ticket to ride 5.jpg" alt="ticket to ride 5" data-mce-source="via GoodLife Report" /></span></span></p>
<h3><span><span><strong>Blue Train</strong></span></span></h3>
<p><span><span><span>Africa has many natural wonders and you can see a few of them on the historic </span><a href="http://www.bluetrain.co.za/">Blue Train</a><span>. The 27-hour journey starts in Pretoria, South Africa, and ends in capital, Cape Town, with a stopover in Kimberley or Matjiesfontein, depending on the departure point. The Blue Train has been traversing South Africa since 1923, with various routes in and out of the country, but due to political unrest and other factors, only makes the domestic journey today. Guests spend the night in colorful suites appointed with deep-soaking tubs or handheld showers and full or twin beds that double as lounge chairs during the day. The train also offers a four-night Pretoria-Durban route with two nights onboard and two nights at Durban&rsquo;s Zimbali Lodge. Golfers will love this journey for the Zimbali&rsquo;s 18-hole course, one of South Africa&rsquo;s finest.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/56f165df52bcd01f7b8b7c6f-2000-1500/ticket to ride 6.jpg" alt="ticket to ride 6" data-mce-source="via GoodLife Report" /></span></span></span></p>
<h3><span><span><span><strong>Royal Canadian Pacific</strong></span></span></span></h3>
<p><span><span><span><span>You don&rsquo;t always have to go overseas to experience train travel the way it was meant to be. Canada&rsquo;s </span><a href="http://www.royalcanadianpacific.com/">Royal Canadian Pacific</a><span> has journeys throughout western Canada incorporating fly fishing, wildlife and golf. Our favorite is the Rockies Experience. This six-day, five-night itinerary starts and ends in Calgary, Alberta. Travelers enjoy Banff, Lake Louise, the Waterton-Glacier and a scenic helicopter ride above the mountains. The wood-paneled rooms are stately but varied in accommodations with doubles, twins or bunk beds, depending on the level of service. All rooms have en-suite baths, luxurious bathrobes and Aveda toiletries. Chef Alain Maheux creates culinary delights sure to win fans.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/56f1681291058424008b7ff4-1989-1492/ticket to ride 7.jpg" alt="ticket to ride 7" data-mce-source="via GoodLife Report" /></span></span></span></span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/20-bucket-list-tennis-courts-2016-3" >20 tennis courts all serious players should visit at least once</a></strong></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-most-luxurious-train-journeys-2016-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nycs-new-4-billion-train-station-is-utterly-underwhelming-2016-3">NYC's new $4 billion train station is utterly underwhelming</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/entire-washington-dc-metro-system-shutting-down-2016-3Entire DC Metro system will shut down for more than 24 hourshttp://www.businessinsider.com/entire-washington-dc-metro-system-shutting-down-2016-3
Tue, 15 Mar 2016 16:17:39 -0400Allan Smith
<p class="paragraph" data-pnum="1"><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/526835cb69bedd5c6e473ee3-3264-2448/dc-metro-train-station-1.jpg" alt="DC metro train station" data-mce-source="Flickr/Paulo Ordoveza" data-link="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brownpau/2998618109/"></p><p>The entire Washington, DC, Metro train system is shutting down for more than 24 hours at midnight on Wednesday so officials can conduct an emergency investigation, <a href="http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/metro-shutdown--372144902.html">NBC4 reported</a>.</p>
<p class="paragraph" data-pnum="1">The system will be shut down for 29 hours, <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/709837110296109056">The Associated Press reported</a>.</p>
<p class="paragraph" data-pnum="1">An announcement is expected within the hour that workers will have to inspect as many as 1,200 pieces of equipment within the subway system.</p>
<p class="paragraph" data-pnum="1">The decision comes after a cable fire early on Monday morning caused delays throughout the day.</p>
<p class="paragraph" data-pnum="1">In a Tuesday-evening press conference, Metro officials said that the fire on Monday was similar to a fire that occurred in the Metro more than a year ago. The similarities prompted the emergency closing.</p>
<p class="paragraph" data-pnum="1"><div>
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All Metrorail service will be suspended Wed., March 16, for emergency inspections: <a href="https://t.co/OPr8Ia6Vgt">https://t.co/OPr8Ia6Vgt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wmata?src=hash">#wmata</a> <a href="https://t.co/YEXPL1cm2s">pic.twitter.com/YEXPL1cm2s</a> </p>— Metro (@wmata) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/709840747680374784">March 15, 2016</a>
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Rail system will close for 24 hours to check 1,200 electrical connectors after latest fire, NBC4 has learned </p>— Tom Sherwood (@tomsherwood) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/709830128969379840">March 15, 2016</a>
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<p>
Metro to shut down ENTIRE rail system at midnight for safety check- NBC4 has learned from sources. announcement soon. </p>— Tom Sherwood (@tomsherwood) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/709829795576745985">March 15, 2016</a>
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700,000 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Metro?src=hash">#Metro</a> Rail riders affected across all 6 lines and 91 stations. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fox5dc?src=hash">#fox5dc</a> </p>— Jim Lokay FOX 5 DC (@LokayFOX5) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/709842222003445760">March 15, 2016</a>
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Metro press release calls <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wmata?src=hash">#wmata</a> closure “unprecedented." </p>— Will Sommer (@willsommer) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/709842437422882816">March 15, 2016</a>
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<p class="embed-spacer"><strong>Here's a map of the Metro system:</strong></p>
<p class="embed-spacer"><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/56e86c029037f7b72dd591ad-887-772/screen%20shot%202016-03-15%20at%204.08.44%20pm.png" alt="dc metro map" data-mce-source="WMATA" data-link="http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/print_map.cfm"></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/entire-washington-dc-metro-system-shutting-down-2016-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/these-cars-get-the-most-tickets-2016-11">People who drive these cars get ticketed the most </a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/rovos-rail-luxurious-african-safari-train-2016-3This African safari might just be the world's most luxurious train ridehttp://www.businessinsider.com/rovos-rail-luxurious-african-safari-train-2016-3
Fri, 04 Mar 2016 14:34:09 -0500Sophie-Claire Hoeller and Stephen Parkhurst
<p dir="ltr">With butler service, gourmet meals and luxurious rooms with showers and Victorian bathtubs, <a href="https://www.rovos.com/">Rovos Rails</a> brings back the old-school glamour of train travel.</p>
<p><em style="line-height: 1.5em;">Story by Sophie-Claire Hoeller and editing by Stephen Parkhurst</em></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Follow INSIDER Travel </strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/thisisinsidertravel/">on Facebook<br></a></span><strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Follow INSIDER</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </span><span class="s2" style="line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/thisisinsider">on YouTube</a></span></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rovos-rail-luxurious-african-safari-train-2016-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/wtc-oculus-subway-transport-hub-world-trade-center-2016-3This $4 billion subway station was just unveiled in New Yorkhttp://www.businessinsider.com/wtc-oculus-subway-transport-hub-world-trade-center-2016-3
Thu, 03 Mar 2016 16:15:48 -0500Matthew Stuart
<div><div>
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<p class="embed-spacer">The new World Trade Center transportation hub is expected to open the middle of this year. Take a look inside at the $4 billion construct meant to resemble a child's hands releasing a dove.</p>
<p class="embed-spacer"><em>Produced by Matthew Stuart. Video courtesy Reuters and CBS.</em></p>
<p class="embed-spacer"><strong>Follow TI:</strong> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/techinsider">On Facebook</a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/wtc-oculus-subway-transport-hub-world-trade-center-2016-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p>